Beware The Water
by SlytherinSnatcher
Summary: Melanie's village is attacked by Death Eaters and before she knows it, she is suddenly taken captive by a group of snatchers. But why does she find herself strangely starting to fall for one of them? Scabior x OC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

I know this chapter is short and Scabior's not in it, but the second chapter gets a lot more interesting. I hope everyone enjoys it and please review!

* * *

Melanie wasn't sure what was going on. She had just got back from taking a walk to find fires breaking out in several buildings and varied objects come crashing through windows. Walking through the village, she saw people running in all directions and screaming.

"Melanie!" she heard someone cry. She turned to see her brother, Sam, running towards her.

"Sam, what's happening?"

"We have to leave! The Death Eaters are tearing the village apart looking for half-bloods."

"Where are mum and dad?"

"I don't know! They only told me to find you and get out. Now let's go!"

As the two fled into the forest, they heard an explosion come from behind them. They were halfway up a hill when Sam suddenly tripped, falling to the ground. As Melanie stopped to help him back up, she paused, listening carefully. There were voices coming from not so far away. Suddenly, Sam let out an agonized scream, thrashing about in the leaves.

"Melanie, run!"

"I'm not leaving you!" she protested, scanning the forest for the source of the voices.

"Go!"

Panicking, Melanie looked at him once more and hesitated before turning back around and running as fast as she could.

It was at least 5 minutes, maybe more, before she was completely out of breath. Collapsing against a tree, she took in several gulps of breath before glancing behind her and listening for any signs of anyone pursuing her. There was only silence, save the rustling of the wind through the tree tops. Heaving a sigh of relief, she slid to the leaf-covered ground, resting her head back against the tree.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter a little more and please review!

* * *

Standing outside a pub, Melanie looked up at the sign before taking a shaky breath and opening up the front door. She was so exhausted that she could barely keep her eyes open. She had been wandering through the forest for several hours and she hadn't wanted to apparate in fear that her brother might have escaped whoever was after them and tried to catch up. As she entered, she looked about the room silently, heading to a dark corner of the room. Feeling someone was watching her, she looked up to see a particularly alluring man giving her a sly look. He had messy brown hair and a pair of mesmerizing grey eyes that were fixed on her. He wore a brown overcoat, a scarf, and a pair of plaid pants. Melanie let her gaze fall to the floor as she felt her face grow warm. She knew he was still watching her. As she dared to steal another glance, she found that he was gone. Sitting up straight on the bench, she was suddenly startled to see him standing to her left.

"'Ello darling" he said, eyes scanning her carefully. Fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweater, she smiled nervously at him.

"H-Hello."

"Now wot would a pretty thing like you be doing out so late in a place like this?" he asked her.

"I-I…" she didn't know exactly what to tell him. That she had fled her home and was currently avoiding Death Eaters while her brother could be anywhere? "I'm avoiding some people…"

His eyes lit up and an amused smirk played across his lips as he gestured to the space beside her.

"May I sit down?"

She nodded, taking a quick glance around. That was when she noticed them. There were two men sitting across the room, looking at them. One of them glanced from her to the man sitting beside her as if they both knew something she didn't.

"Wot's your name, love?" the man beside her asked, leaning his arm up on the back of the bench.

"My name is Melanie." She replied quietly, pushing back a loose strand of hair.

"An' you say you're…avoiding some people?"

"Yes…" she hesitated, looking at him. She didn't want to tell him too much, but he looked as if he could be trusted and somehow, though she couldn't explain it, she was afraid he might walk out at any moment and she didn't want him to. "Just some people I really don't want to run into…"

"You wouldn't mean Death Eaters now, would you?"

"I…" she was unsure of what to say. At that moment, a waiter came up to them and asked for their orders.

"I'll have a sherry and she'll have…"

"I'm fine, thank you."

The man briefly glanced over at the two other men across the room, and then at her.

"Oh come on, it's on me."

"No, it's all right, really."

As the waiter walked away, Melanie quickly tried to change the subject to something else besides why she was here.

"I don't believe I ever caught _your_ name."

"It's Scabior." He said, smirking at her. She smiled, starting to feel less uncomfortable. She had never met someone who could make her feel so unsure yet at-ease with at the same time.

"Scabior…I like that name."

"Well I'm quite fond of yours myself, love. It's lovely, just like you."

"Are you…flirting with me?" she asked, her face growing warm again. Looking away for a moment, she noticed that he was tracing small patterns with his finger on the table.

"I s'pose you could say that."

The men at the other table were staring at her again and as her gaze shifted in their direction, she suddenly feared they might be onto her.

"I-I have to go. My family must be worried about me and-" she started to slide to the end of the bench, but he reached his arm out, placing his hand over hers.

"Oh come on, just a little longer." He said to her, a sincere look in his eyes. The waiter returned with his drink and he nodded a thanks before looking back to her. "You're already out. Live a little."

"Just…just a little longer."

"Good." He replied, taking a quick swig of his drink, watching as Melanie glanced over at the other men again.

"Do you…happen to know those men over there?" she asked him in a low voice, nodding their way.

"They're trouble-makers." He said, reaching up and just barely brushing his fingers against her shoulder while she wasn't looking. "I thought the moment you walked in that you should have someone in here look out for you."

As she looked around the room again, he reached into his pocket for something. The men at the other table looked at Scabior again with small grins.

"Well I am glad you came over here." Melanie said, looking back to him. Nudging his glass her way, he licked his lips as he looked intently at her.

"You sure you don't want a drink? You sound like you need something to loosen you up a bit."

She looked down at the drink skeptically, swallowing.

"No, it's all right-"

"Please, I promise it will ease your nerves. Trust me." He said, his fingers lingering on the edge of the glass. Hesitantly reaching for it, she decided one sip couldn't possibly hurt. Taking the glass from him, she took a small swig, trying to mimic his actions.

"Feeling better?" he asked with an amused smile.

"A bit…" she replied. After a moment though, she started to feel odd. Her vision went blurry and her eyelids were starting to feel increasingly heavy. "Actually…I feel quite…"

Never finishing her sentence, she suddenly passed out, only feeling a pair of hands grab her shoulders to hold her up.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns HP.

Thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you like this chapter.

* * *

The first thing Melanie noticed as she woke up was how incredibly cold it was. Opening her eyes slowly, she exhaled, watching a little cloud of steam leave her lips. She sat up and found that she was on a small cot in the corner of a very large-looking tent. Slipping out from underneath the thin blankets that covered her, she crept over to a small set of steps and peered around the corner. At that moment, someone came through the entrance to the tent and she pressed against the edge of the tent to hide.

"Oi, there's no use hiding." A gruff voice said to her. She recognized it as belonging to the snatcher named Greyback. Reluctantly, she came around the corner again and walked down the steps.

"Please…" she said in a small voice. "I want to leave…"

Greyback burst into roaring laughter and Melanie jumped back slightly.

"Leave? You really have no idea what's in store for you, do you, Mudblood?"

The entrance opened again and Scabior stepped through, looking from Melanie to Greyback.

"Outisde." He ordered Greyback. "The other two require your assistance."

The werewolf huffed, giving Scabior a sharp look before shoving through the entrance to go outside. Once he had been gone for several moments, Scabior crossed the tent towards Melanie.

"So you're awake." He said with a slight grin.

"Stay away." She warned him, backing away. Watching her stumbled backwards, he closed the distance even more, his eyes filled with intent and something else that almost frightened Melanie.

"Now now, if you're a nice girl, I won't have to use any curses on you."

Reaching out, he brushed his fingertips along the side of her face, causing her to shiver at his touch.

"I don't want to die…" she said in a cracked voice, her eyes filled with fear. Closing even more distance, he moved so his body was just barely against hers.

"You have nothing to fear, beautiful. We're just taking you back to the Ministry." He told her, running his fingers through her hair. She gasped slightly, looking into his eyes. He studied her for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face. "I think you're going to be my new favorite."

Tilting his head to one side, he brought his face close to her throat, inhaling her scent and giving a slight shudder of satisfaction. Licking his lips, he entangled his fingers in her hair as he softly began to kiss her neck. She took in a sharp breath, closing her eyes. His lips formed a smile against her neck as he worked his way up, breathing lightly against her ear. A swarm of sensations filled her at that moment and she lifted her hand hesitantly, placing it on his shoulder. Pulling his head back, he looked into her eyes with a lustful yet almost quizzical expression. Tracing her lips with his finger, he leaned in once more to place a kiss on her neck, and then moved away, leaving her breathless and strangely puzzled. He walked to the other side of the tent, unrolling a map on a nearby table.

"I thought you were being honest last night...I had hoped you were, at least." She said to him with hurt in her voice. Touching his fist against his chin in thought, he turned to her with a coy smile on his face.

"You know, you really shouldn't take candy from strangers, love."

She shot him a look, and then glanced over to the entrance of the tent thoughtfully. As he turned back around, she inched closer and closer toward it, holding her breath in fear that he might notice. As she reached the opening, she suddenly made a run for it, bounding past the other snatchers. She could hear yelling behind her as she sprinted past the trees, not a clue where to go from there. After about a minute, she flew around a large tree, pressing her back against it and holding her breath. Waiting for any sign of voices, she stayed silently in place until she heard one of them shout something way off in the forest. With one quick look around the tree, she came out from her hiding place, trying to regain her breath, and wandered down to a nearby stream that had frozen over. Sitting down, she shivered, holding her arms. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground and the cold wind nipped at her skin as it passed through. Sighing, she stared down at the frozen water, touching it lightly with her bare fingertips.

She and her family had only been visiting some friends. Her parents were both muggles, but they were good friends with a pure-blood family. It was Christmas break and she and her brother, Sam, had just gotten back two days ago from Hogwarts. Melanie had just wanted to go for a walk to clear her head, thinking nothing of it. Now here she was, running for her life while her family was somewhere unknown. Cringing, she thought of Sam and where he must be. She hadn't wanted to leave him there, but he had told her to and she panicked. Staring off, Melanie didn't even hear the footsteps on the ground up the little hill behind her.

"Hello Lovely."

Her breath hitched as she heard the voice come from behind her. She slowly stood up, reaching for her wand. It couldn't be…

"_Expelliarmus!"_ she cried, turning around swiftly. The spell was deflected and she gasped as her wand flew into the air, landing several feet away. Looking up, she swallowed hard as she came face-to-face with Scabior. "_You…_"

"Nice seeing you again, darling." He said with a wicked smile, coming closer. As she backed away, there was the sound of a snapping twig and she felt someone grab her arm. Struggling to get away, she noticed the other snatchers coming in around her. She looked up and gasped at the sight of a very livid-looking Greyback.

"Let go of me!" she shrieked in panic. Scabior approached her and took her chin in his hand.

"It's all right, Greyback. I'll handle her." He said, his gaze not leaving Melanie. "Tried to run away now, did we? Darling, you really must learn not to underestimate us, especially me."

"Why are you doing this?" Melanie whispered, trying to cover up the terror in her voice. "Just let me go. I never did anything wrong!"

"That's up to the Ministry 'o Magic to decide."

"Please let me go!"

Reaching for a lock of her hair, he sniffed it, closing his eyes.

"Mm, sorry love."

"You're nauseating." She spat, kneeing him between the legs and taking off into a full sprint through the forest. Giving out a cry of pain, he fell to the ground, yelling at the others to go after her. Darting around the trees, she didn't dare look back. Was there nowhere she could go without being chased? Her thought was interrupted by an excruciating pain that coursed throughout her entire body, rendering her completely powerless. Screaming in pain, she tripped over her own feet and tumbled to the ground, thrashing around in agony. Hearing the others advancing on her, she reached for her wand, but felt a heavy boot abruptly kick it out of her hand. The pain continued and she arched her back, begging them to stop.

"Greyback!" she heard Scabior order. "That's enough."

A tear ran down her face as she stared up at the snow-laced tree tops above her. The sensation of someone brushing her hair out of her face caused her to snap her head and gaze into a pair of beautiful blue grey eyes. _His_ eyes. His hand gently traced her face, his fingers just barely grazing her skin. The expression he held was no longer mockery, only…what was it? Sympathy? Regret? It was difficult to decipher. Picking her up, he slung her lazily over his shoulder and started back for the camp with the others who were snickering to themselves.

* * *

It had been three days and Melanie had not tried to escape again. Scabior had been keeping an extremely close watch on her ever since the last incident. The group had stopped at an Inn the second night she was there, forcing her to share a room with him. She had wanted to tell someone to help her, to somehow signal that she was in danger, but afraid that people may end up getting hurt, she kept her mouth shut and followed the group without question. The next two nights they had spent in a new spot in the forest where several people had reportedly been seen trying to flee.

Staring off into the distance, Melanie had completely let the hours slip away. As she stood at the edge of the camp, she could hear the wind blow through the tree branches up above and felt as it swept through her hair. Feeling a hand touch her shoulder, she turned her head slightly to find Scabior standing beside her, reaching up with his other hand to play with a loose strand of her hair.

"Come on, it's my turn to watch you." He said in a gentle voice, softly caressing her face. As her eyes met his, he curled her fingers into her hair before letting her lay her head on his shoulder and pulling her in closer to him. Turning her around, he led her back to the center of the camp where there was a small fire. The other three snatchers sat around it, taking turns passing around a bottle of fire whiskey. Scabior sat down across from Greyback, putting his arm possessively around Melanie as she followed.

"No luck today." One of the other snatchers commented, taking a swig from the bottle and passing it to Greyback.

"We'll try again tomorrow." Scabior said, taking the bottle from Greyback and taking a drink. Handing it to Melanie, he laughed to himself as she quickly passed it on to the next person. At that moment, they all heard what sounded like footsteps on snow and someone curse under their breath as they tripped over something.

"Oi! Who's there?" Scabior called out, suddenly standing, wand in hand. "Don't bother trying to run or we _will_ kill you on spot."

Someone stepped out from behind Greyback's tent, hands in the air. He was a boy of about 18, shoulder-length, black hair and dark eyes. His clothes were scraggly and he looked as though he'd been wandering about the forest for some time.

"Melanie!" he gasped as he saw her. She shot up, running to embrace him, tears forming in her eyes.

"Sam!" she threw her arms around him, crying into his shoulder. Just as soon she felt herself being yanked away and watched as Greyback forced her brother to the ground.

"And who would you be?" he asked, his hand on the boy's head.

"Sam Everly." He said without hesitation.

"Blood status?" Scabior asked, letting go of Melanie's arm and approaching him.

"Muggle-born."

"Is that so?" he taunted him, glancing in the direction of a very terrified Melanie.

"Scabior, please…" she pleaded.

"What have you done to my sister?" Sam asked with venom in his voice. Scabior laughed, followed by the others, and held up the boy's chin with the tip of his wand.

"Stop it." Melanie told Scabior, approaching him. He turned away from Sam, looking at her.

"Take him to one of your tents. And keep a close watch on him." He ordered the others, his eyes not leaving her. "And you, my lovely, are coming with me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you, you filthy-"

Sam suddenly gave out a shriek of pain and fell forward as Scabior half turned around with his wand pointed toward him.

"NO!" Melaine cried, grabbing his arm. He turned back to her with a coy smile and walked to the outskirts of the camp. Looking helplessly at her brother once more, she followed him, her face streaked with tears.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: JK Rowlings owns Harry Potter

I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Thank you so much for the reviews and feedback! It's so great to hear what everyone has to say. Please keep them coming!

* * *

Melanie found Scabior leaning his arm against a tree as she treaded farther away from the camp and the light of the fire. As she neared him, he swiftly grabbed her and pinned her against the tree, arms held to her sides. Licking his lips, he moved one of his hands and placed it at her waist, the other pressing against the tree behind her head.

"You know wot I want." He said in a low voice, leaning in close to nuzzle her ear.

"How dare you-" she tried to push him away, but he slammed her back against the tree, body crushed against hers.

"Your call, darling, but I'd 'ate to see wot happens to your brother if you don't." He said with a smirk, tucking back a loose strand of her hair. Shivering at his touch, she closed her eyes for a minute in contemplation.

"You won't hurt him?" she asked, opening her eyes. Shaking his head, something lit up in his eyes as his fingers lingered against her shoulder. Melanie leaned forward at that moment to kiss him and was met halfway as his lips claimed hers. Lacing her fingers into his hair, she ran her other hand up and down his chest. Moaning, he kissed her more roughly as the seconds passed, the taste of her driving him insane. Pressing her back against the tree, he held her up as he pulled her legs around his waist. She pulled her head back with a gasp and he smiled at the sight of her swollen lips and shocked expression, his fingers softly caressing her face.

"Shh…" he whispered gently in her ear as he leaned in closer once more. Feeling her trembling beneath his touch, he grinned and placed a kiss on the nape of her neck before lowering her feet to the ground. "'Ow old are you again, love?"

"Seventeen." She breathed.

"Still in 'ogwarts then, I presume?"

She nodded slightly.

"Wot 'ouse? Certainly not a Slytherin."

"R-Ravenclaw."

"Mm…" he felt a hand up her side. "I've never 'ad one 'o those before."

Closing her eyes, Melanie tried to prepare herself for the inevitable, but she suddenly felt him move away. As she opened her eyes, she looked at him in confusion.

"But you-"

He pressed a finger to her lips, pulling her away from the tree and back up towards the camp.

* * *

As Melanie walked back with Scabior to his tent, a strong breeze came howling through the forest, making her shiver madly. She moved in closer to him, not seeing the smirk on his face as he rubbed his thumb against her arm. Walking inside, he grabbed her hand as she headed for her cot.

"It's cold out. Yer not sleeping alone tonight."

"I would rather stay outside than even imagine sleeping near you." She retorted, trying to move away.

"I would 'ate to see what would 'appen to your brother, though, if you didn't oblige." He said, reaching up to caress her face. She turned her head away, the fear plainly obvious in her eyes. "It's just for the body 'eat, don't worry."

"…Fine." She sighed after a moment.

Grinning, he walked over to his cot and took off his leather coat and boots. She followed, folding her arms in front of her chest. As she approached him, he took her hand, guiding her down beside him as he slid under the thin, cold sheets. She lay rigidly on the edge of the cot, staring at the opposite end of the tent. Scabior smirked, closing his eyes. Finally, he could get anything out of her with one simple threat.

Sometime during the night, Melanie awoke to find that it was terribly cold in the tent again. Blinking several times, she suddenly remembered where she was and turned around slowly to find her captor lying beside her. In his sleep, he didn't look as much of the horrible person she knew he was. He looked almost peaceful in his sleep, one arm carelessly resting across his abdomen while the other hung at the edge of the cot. Melanie shivered, seeing her breath form a little cloud in front of her. Shifting her gaze back to the sleeping snatcher, she sighed, pulling the sheets up higher.

"_It's just to keep warm."_ She thought. Nuzzling up to him, she nestled her face into the crook of his neck, taking in his scent as she breathed lightly. He had smelled so good whenever he came close to her. Smiling slightly, she felt him shift beside her and drape his arm across her side, pulling her in closer. Her breath caught in her throat and she didn't dare move for several minutes until she heard him mumble something quietly, and as she felt her eyelids growing heavy again, she fell back to sleep.

* * *

It was still very early when Melanie woke up. Opening her eyes, she sat up slowly, raising her hand to cover a yawn. Scabior was still sleeping as she got up and quietly snuck over to the entrance of the tent. Stopping for a second, she glanced over to find her wand lying on a table and quickly grabbed it before walking outside. Snow was beginning to fall as she made her way through the forest, trying to find a stream nearby they had passed two days ago while roaming around. Shivering, she folded her arms as she treaded farther away from the camp. She hadn't bathed since they had spent the night at the inn and she desperately wanted some new clothes. Approaching the stream, she pulled out her wand and looked around before pointing it at the frozen water.

"Diffindo."

The ice at the top of the water suddenly cracked, forming an uneven opening. Pointing her wand at the water again, she silently cast a charm to heat the water. She removed her thin jacket quickly, placing it next to a nearby tree, followed by her clothing and shoes. Hurrying over to the water, she slid into it, submerging herself underneath it's surface. The water felt nice in contrast to the bitter coldness in the air above her. Needing to take a breath, she swam back up to the opening, bobbing her head up. Instantly, she felt a hand roughly grab her by the hair and shove her head back under the water, which had turned an icy cold once more. As she was abruptly brought back up, she gasped for air, choking on the water she had swallowed. Looking up, she found Scabior looking down at her with the most vicious look she had ever seen.

"What is wrong with you?" she spat, coughing. He pushed her under the water's surface once more, keeping her there a moment before yanking her back up again.

"Do you not recall me telling you not to try running away again?" he asked her in a venomous voice. Melanie spit out more water, coughing even harder.

"I wasn't trying to run away! Are you mad?"

"It doesn't make a difference! I can't have you just wandering about the forest by yourself! My men are already starting to question me and I will not give them further reason to!"

"Fine! Just let go of me!"

Releasing her hair, Scabior stepped away, fuming.

"Get dressed. We're changing location today."

Waiting until he was turned around, Meanie lifted herself out of the water and wandered over to the tree where her clothes lay, ringing out her wet hair.

"Pity you haven't actually snatched anyone." She taunted him bitterly as she got dressed. Leaning one arm against a tree, he laughed.

"We caught you, didn't we? And as soon as we take your brother in, we'll be 'eading back out to get more."

Melanie froze, dropping her boot to the ground.

"But you promised!"

"I said I wouldn't 'arm 'im. I never said we weren't gonna turn 'im in to the Ministry."

"No, please! I'll do anything!"

Scabior turned his head, giving her a grin.

"Anything?"

Seeing her nod her head frantically, he turned fully toward her, beckoning her to come closer. As she walked over, barefoot, through the snow, she felt her hands shaking and knew it wasn't just because of the cold. She stopped just before him and her heart pounded in her chest as he leaned down close to her ear.

"I want to keep you for myself. I did catch you, after all." He whispered, brushing his lips against the shell of her ear. Leaning into him, she gave it a seconds thought before answering him.

"Done."

He smiled, placing a kiss on her neck and picking her up into his arms, going over to grab her boots and socks before carrying her back.

As they entered the camp again, they heard several shouts from somewhere off in the forest followed by the sound of feet running on broken branches and snow. Greyback appeared suddenly, cursing and kicking a large rock that sat nearby.

"Wot's wrong?" Scabior asked, setting Melanie down.

"The damn boy…He tried to grab the girl and escape…but when he saw she wasn't here, he got away and disapperated." Greyback said angrily, shooting a look between Scabior and Melanie.

"Not a major loss. We'll find more soon." Scabior said, drumming his fingers against his chin in thought. "Tell the others we're re-locating in an 'our."

With that, he took Melanie by the hand, leading her back into his tent, her boots slung over his left shoulder.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: I am so sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've just had so much going on and I wasn't writing as much as I usually do. I couldn't decide on exactly which of the few ways I was going to take this story, but now I'm sure so there will be much more updates now. I know this is also kind of short, but I wanted to at least give you all something. Again, I am so sorry and I really do hope you keep reading!

* * *

Sitting in the corner of small pub, Melanie stared off in thought as the rest of the group ordered another round of drinks.

"Ah, come on, at least smile, darling" Scabior prompted her, putting his arm around her shoulders. She shot him a venomous look, and then shifted her gaze back to the table. It had been two days since Sam had escaped and she was hopeful that she could somehow slip away. The only problem was getting her wand, but that hadn't stopped her before.

One of them men in the group was attempting to hit of the barmaid, which, to her slight amusement, only resulted in him getting a slap across the face. This caused the others in the group to laugh loudly as he growled and rubbed the red mark on his cheek.

Melanie suddenly saw something out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to see what it was. Outside the window it was quite dark but Melanie could just make out a face peering inside. As she looked harder, she nearly gasped, realizing who it was.

"Sam." She mouthed, feeling a sense of worry wash over her along with the relief that he was safe. He motioned for her to come outside, ducking down as a man passed by the window. Looking quietly around, she tried to think of an excuse to get out of there. Her eyes landed on Scabior, who was completely and utterly drunk out of his mind at this point, and got an idea. Sliding closer, she placed her hand on his shoulder, leaning in close to his ear.

"I'm sorry I haven't been so appreciative of what you've done by not turning me in." she said so only he could hear. Giving her a skeptical look, he placed an arm around her lazily.

"Wot you sayin'?" his breath reeked of fire whiskey and it took all she had not to gag.

"Well, I mean…I'd like to show you my appreciation…" she said as convincingly as she could, playing with a lock of his wild hair. Running his tongue along his bottom lip, he looked her up and down, contemplating.

"Aw'right then." He said, sliding down the bench and staggering to his feet. Melanie quietly slipped out behind him, following him to the door with the crude whistling of the others coming from behind them. As they walked outside, Melanie hugged her arms to her chest, the sudden cold air hitting her skin.

"Aww, my l'il lovely's cold, is she?" Scabior said with an amused smirk, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Get your hands off of her." Sam's voice said icily from his hiding place on side of the pub. Stepping toward them, he raised his wand, and before Scabior could even react, he had already sent a jet of light from it, sending him flying backwards. With a _thud_, Scabior landed on his back several feet away, moaning slightly in pain.

"Sam!" Melanie gasped, raising a shaking hand over her mouth. Instantly, Sam was by her side, pulling her along.

"Come on, we don't have much time! The others will figure out that something's wrong if they heard us."

As they rushed towards the woods, Melanie looked back for a moment, almost feeling sorry for the man they had just left on the snowy ground.

"Sam, wait!" she half whispered. Stopping abruptly, she stood looking at Scabior for a moment before walking back to him.

"Merlin's beard, Melanie! What are you doing?" Sam hissed, following quickly behind her. As she looked down at the now unconscious man, she knew should hate him, but there was something else there. Pity, perhaps.

"We can't just leave him here in the snow." She said in a cracked voice. Leaning down, she pulled her wand out of his pocket and waved it once. Slowly, his body rose from the ground and floated up until it reached several feet in the air. Melanie rose to her feet, her wand still pointed at him, and moved toward the forest with Sam following beside her.

"Where are we taking him?" he asked quietly.

"To their campsite. I'm just going to make sure he's in a warm place."

"Melanie, are you completely mad? Or have you forgotten just who you've been with for the past week?"

"I know, I know!" she replied. "But what if he stays out here all night? I can't just leave him on the ground in the middle of winter!"

A little way up through the woods they found the campsite. Everything was dark and quiet save for the wind that howled through the tree tops up above.

"I'll be back out in a few moments." Melanie said, going into one of the tents and opening it so Scabior could float through. Once inside, she carefully lowered him onto his cot, covering him with a blanket. "You're lucky I didn't leave you out there."

Turning from him, she waved her wand and lit several of his lanterns, casting a warm glow on the inside of the tent. Hearing him stir slightly, she turned to look at him for a moment before walking to the opening of the tent

"M-Mel…" her hair nearly stood on end as she heard him mumble her name in his sleep. Turning to him, she waited until he was still again, and then departed.

* * *

"So where have you been?" Melanie asked after she and Sam had apparated to another forest, making their way through the trees.

"Well, at first I wasn't sure where to go so I mostly just wandered all around trying to find help. But then I happened upon a group of muggle-borns who were hiding out in the forest. They said we could join them if we needed somewhere to go. That's when I found you in the pub."

They walked for two miles until they reached a small group of tents, approaching them cautiously.

"They're here." Melanie heard someone whisper as a head poked out of one of the tents. A woman in her late twenties stepped out of the tent, looking at Sam. "Is this your sister?"

"Yes, this is my sister Melanie." He smiled slightly, and then gestured to the woman. "Melanie, this is Evelyn."

"Pleased to meet you." Melanie said, smiling politely. Evelyn nodded and gestured toward a tent on the end. "Well we'd best be getting inside quickly. We've been lucky so far not to have been spotted."

"Pardon me for asking" Melanie said, looking around. "But wouldn't it be much safer if we set up some wards? Just in case some snatchers do happen to pass through here."

"I…I never thought of that…I guess we were worrying so much about getting somewhere safe, we forgot about it."

"I'll put some up then." Melanie said, stepping further away from the tents and pulling out her wand. Sam said something to Evelyn, who quickly nodded and headed back into her tent, while Melanie added the only protective wards she knew around the edge of their small campsite. As she finished, Sam motioned for her to come inside their tent.

Melanie lay awake for an hour while Sam lay sleeping soundlessly on the cot across the tent. She hugged her knees to her chest, staring down in thought. When Scabior woke up, he was going to be furious no doubt. If he found her, she was afraid that he may hurt Sam badly this time. He wouldn't spare him again for her, not this time. Yet somehow she felt strange not being in Scabior's tent with his scent of fire whiskey and cologne, and his arm wrapped around her, keeping her warm. Rubbing her arms, she layed down quietly, letting sleep overtake her as her eyelids closed.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Author's note: Ok, I will definately have another update soon for this, because I already have most of it written. So I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and thank you so much for the reviews and feedback! I really appreciate it!

* * *

Scabior was, in a word, infuriated. The rest of his group had found him in his tent, passed out cold, Melanie gone, and hadn't let him go about it since. Fenrir Greyback taunted him the most, which gave him all the more incentive to catch as many muggle-borns as he could. For the next few weeks, anyone he caught was subject to cruel treatment just so he could still be viewed as a capable leader.

Rushing through the forest, sodden leaves and snapping twigs beneath their feet, Scabior and the other snatchers raced after a group of hideaways. As they came to a hill, Scabior and Greyback managed to catch the majority of them. The other two snatchers caught up to the remaining two, forcing them back to the rest of the group.

"Now, who do we 'ave 'ere?" Scabior asked as another snatcher pulled out a little black book of names from his coat pocket.

"Karen Lamar, sir" said a terrified woman, kneeling beside her wounded husband. Greyback approached the two young boys who were with them, shoving them onto their knees. They both looked very pale and terrifed out of their wits, clinging to eachother as if their lives depended on it.

As Scabior walked around them, he noticed the back of a black-haired girl crying next to the two boys. Taking a huge step, he grabbed the girls shoulder, turning her to face him. The excitement in his eyes thought died out just as soon as it had come. Though her hair was long and black like Melanie's, that was the only resemblance they bore. The girl had dark eyes, unlike Melanie's green ones, and her skin was a darker tone. Throwing her to the ground in frustration, Scabior began to pace, pulling out his wand.

"You all right?" one of his other snatchers asked, but he ignored him completely, looking at the group.

"I'm only gonna ask this once…Do any of you know of a girl by the name of Melanie Everly?"

There was a long silence, save the weeping of the older woman and Scabior's boots as he stepped forward, rounding on the girl who was now shaking with fright.

"_Crucio!"_ he hissed, raising his wand to her. Instantly, the girl began to shriek in pain, writhing about on the ground. "Now I'll ask again: Does anyone here know where I can find a girl by the name of Melanie Everly?"

"Stop it! You're hurting my sister!" one of the young boys cried out. Disregarding his pleas, Scabior continued, his eyes scanning over the group.

"Please! I don't know!" the girl shrieked, thrashing about in the snow. Breaking the curse, he gave her a dark look, and then turned, walking off farther into the forest, one hand running furiously through his unkempt hair.

"Where're you goin'?" one of his snatchers called after him.

"Jus' check their names! I've got some business to take care of…" He replied, breaking into a run.

* * *

Melanie spent most of her time the following days either on her cot inside the tent or by herself in the forest, which was usually late at night or early in the morning. If anyone knew she was out that far, they'd probably think of her as a liability for attracting unwanted attention. The others barely showed themselves though, not that she minded really. Sam was the only one she talked to whenever he was around. He had been spending most of his days trying to find others that were in need of help.

"_You miss him." _The voice in the back of her mind told her one morning as she was sitting underneath a tree.

"_I don't. He's a filthy snatcher who turns people in for money."_

"_Regardless, you still want him."_

"_But what kind of person would that make me?"_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of boots crunching in the snow behind her. Turning her head slowly, she felt her heart nearly stop, but relaxed when she saw Sam approaching her with an armful of clothing. Almost having a feeling of disappointment, she sighed, giving him a small smile.

"I thought you could use some new clothes." He said, taking a seat next to her.

"Thanks." Melanie replied quietly, taking them from him.

"Mel...I've been thinking about something. What if we just…went back to our house tonight? You know, just to collect some of our stuff. A few things, that's all."

"But what if we get caught?"

"It'll be dark out. Just for an hour, and then we'll head straight back here."

"Well…" Melanie thought for a moment, biting her lip. "Only if we're extremely careful. I'm not going to risk losing you again. You're all I have right now."

"I know." Sam said, sighing. "Don't worry , Mel, we're going to make it through this. No matter what, we're going to doing what we can to overcome it."

Leaning to the side, he rested his head against hers for a brief moment, and then stood, heading back to the tent for breakfast with Melanie close behind.

As they reached the tent, they found Evelyn waiting for them.

"The others and I need to speak with you." She said, hugging her jacket close to herself.

"You go ahead." Melanie told Sam, heading for their tent.

Melanie waited inside on her cot while Sam followed Evelyn to talk with the others. Leaning back on her arm, she stared off into a corner, allowing her mind to wander. A few minutes later, she heard him approaching and looked to the entrance.

"We're changing location." Sam told her as he re-entered the tent. Sitting up, Melanie looked over at him.

"Where to?"

"It's an abandoned house a little ways out from Hogsmeade. No one's been in it for years so we're staying there for a few days."

"The Shrieking Shack?"

"No no, it's farther out than that. Evelyn's husband had an old friend who was the previous owner." He replied, throwing his clothes into a sack. "Here, pack yours up too. We're leaving in an hour."

Turning to Melanie, Sam tossed her a sack. Catching it, she stood up from her cot and proceeded to absentmindedly throw things inside it, her mind wandering to Scabior.

For the first time, Melanie saw the group she and Sam had been hiding out with. As they made their way through the forest she counted five people in total: Evelyn, a thin man who appeared to be Evelyn's husband, ,a boy of about twelve whom Melanie recognized from Hogwarts, and a girl around the age of 7 who was apparently the boy's sister.

Barely anyone spoke a word to each other the entire strip, save for the occasional quiet side conversation to assure one another everything was going to be ok.

When they finally arrived at the house, everyone found the energy they had left to drag themselves inside. Sam pulled Melanie aside, waiting until the rest were inside before turning to her.

"We're going to the house now."

Melanie nodded, pulling out her wand and taking his hand. With a sudden _crack_, they both disapparated, leaving only footprints in the snow.

* * *

On the quiet, dark street, two figures appeared from thin air, the snow at their feet lightly gliding outwards in every direction. Quickly, they headed for the cover of the trees, slinking in and out of the warm pools of light cast by streetlamps. Eventually, they stopped outside one particular house and the faint sound of a gasp echoed through the silent night air.

Approaching the half-destroyed remnants of what was their home, Melanie felt the tears sting her eyes. Her hands shook as she stopped just outside the front gate, moistening her dry lips.

"Wha…What happened?" she said, her voice barely audible. Beside her, Sam looked over the house, too stunned to say anything. They both stood together, looking over the ruins of their previous life.

"They destroyed it…" Sam finally said in a hoarse voice.

"This was our home…" the tears flowed freely down Melanie's face as she entered the front yard, walking up to the front door, which was now hanging from one hinge. Pushing it open, she looked over the damage that had been done to the interior of the house. Furniture was broken, papers stuck out of opened drawers and lay scattered about on the floor, and shards from a glass cabinet lay everywhere. There had obviously been some kind of fight in here.

The pictures along the staircase wall were smashed in and as Melanie carefully made her way to the top, she saw that the rooms upstairs were completely torn apart as well. Moonlight shown in from the gaping holes burned into the front walls of the house. Holding her breath, she swung open the door to her room, taking in yet more destruction, and quickly made her way to her dresser, pulling out clothes and throwing them under her arm, the tears her eyes making her eyes cloudy. In the room across the hall, she could hear Sam going through his belongings as well. As she pulled several more items of clothing from her closet, she sensed Sam standing in the doorway and turned to look at him, their eyes meeting briefly before she hurriedly followed him out, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. Once they were outside, they took one last look at the house before joining hands and disapparating.

With a sudden _crack_, they were both standing in front of the new hiding place, neither knowing what to say at the moment. After a minute, Sam walked inside, looking back for Melanie to follow, but she only shook her head, taking a seat on the bench by the front door.

About two hours passed by as Melanie sat shivering in the cold, not daring to move. The tears had eventually been drained out of her and dried on her face, leaving her hugging her arms to herself, trying to straighten everything out. It never occurred to her just how abruptly she had been thrown into this situation. She knew the day would come when she would have to face everything as an adult, but not this way. It was up to Sam and her now. They would have to fend for themselves if they wanted to make it out alive.

Her thoughts were cut short by the sudden sound of boots on snow. Holding her breath, she quickly stood, listening with an intense silence and reaching for her wand. The sound was distant, but by the sound of it, whoever it was drawing nearer. Stepping away from the house, she was relieved to see that everyone had gone to bed, as the lights were all out. Curious to know who was passing through, she ducked into the bushes, waving her wand to produce a concealment charm. As the footsteps grew nearer, she could feel her pulse gradually increasing, her knuckles turning white as they gripped her wand tightly.

A quiet cough cut through the silence as a dark figure walked by the house, stopping to cast a glance in its direction. Straining to see, Melanie could just make out the red armband he wore on his right sleeve and instantly knew he must be a snatcher. Hoping he would pass quickly, she felt her heart nearly stop as something caught his eye on the second floor of the house.

"_No-No, please keep moving!"_ her mind begged, but it was too late now. For a few long moments, he simply stood there, staring at something, but just as Melanie was about to panic, he let out another cough and seemed to lose interest, for he carried on down the street, eventually disappearing into the night's darkness. Melanie sighed with relief, taking a moment to make sure no one else was around, and then made a quick dash to the front door.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: So I am terribly sorry for the lack of updates, but I was having a serious case of Writer's Block and every time I thought about posting this, I decided not to, because it just didn't seem right yet. I really hope these at least makes up for it a little.

* * *

It was early in the morning the next day when Melanie was awoken by screaming. Sitting straight up on the living room sofa, she looked around in panic, nearly falling off. Getting quickly to her feet, she ran to the window, looking outside. Several people from the group were running through the snow, Snatchers following them.

"Oh no..." she whispered, turning to go warn the others. Sam suddenly came down the stairs, followed by the little boy and his sister. The boy flung the door open, a terrifed look in his eyes.

"We have to go!" he shouted, grabbing his sister by the arm and taking off through the streets. Instantly, the snatchers caught up to them, casting hexes to knock them down. The rest of the group gathered in the living room, huddled together.

Watching from the window, Melanie witnessed as several others tried to run, only to be captured and brought back. She backed away as one of the snatchers passed the window and stood back to blow the door in. Everyone else that remained inside jumped as the door went flying off its hinges and landed with a crash against the wall.

Watching from the window, Melanie witnessed as several others tried to run, only to be captured and brought back. She backed away as one of the snatchers passed the window and stood back to blow the door in. Everyone else that remained inside jumped as the door went flying off its hinges and landed with a crash against the wall.

"Keep that bitch quiet!" a man's voice ordered as one of the women outside started to cry.

"What do we do?" one of the men inside asked Sam in a hushed tone as they peered around the corner.

"Out in front! All of ya!" the gruff voice barked. Melanie filed out behind several others, peering through the group of terrified people. As they all trudged out into the snow, several of the snatchers started to search people for wands. Her hand flying to her pocket, Melanie tried to blend in with those who had already been searched, but she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and bit her lip.

"No you don't, girly." A voice behind her said. "Better to hand it over now."

"Please…" she choked out, trying to move away. The snatcher stepped forward, roughly grabbing her hair and forcing her to the ground. "Standard procedure."

The wizard grabbed her wand from her pocket, stepping around her and inspecting it. Tears streamed down her face as she sat shivering on the cold ground.

"Wos' this?" a voice asked, and Melanie snapped her head up suddenly, recognizing the voice. Several feet away, the snatcher who had taken her wand was holding it out to someone she hoped she would never see again. Scabior took the wand from the other wizard, looking it over carefully, and then his gaze fell on Melanie. She swallowed hard as he approached her, fearing the worst. Kneeling down on one knee in front of her, his cold grey eyes met hers as he brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"'Ello my lovely."he said with a slight look of amusement. As she tried to look away, he roughly grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to face him. "Fancy meetin' you 'ere, eh?"

"Let go of me." She said in the most venomous voice she could manage. He laughed, releasing her and standing back up to his full height.

"Oi! I'll be takin' this one wit me." He called out to the snatcher who had previously taken her wand. The other snatcher nodded, and then returned to interrogating a frightened-looking woman as she begged him to let them all go. Melanie looked up at Scabior with a terrified expression as he pulled her roughly up by the arm, leading her along to the backside of a nearby house. Once they were out of sight, he pressed her back against the wall, his eyes searching hers.

"Please…just let me go…" she said in a shaking voice, partly due to the cold.

"Thas' three times you've gotten away from me, my lovely. My men were quite amused to find that out and 'aven't let me forget it since."

"Maybe if you weren't so busy getting drunk you would've been more on your guar-."

Grabbing her by the throat, his eyes turned even colder as he gritted his teeth.

"'Ow dare you…I saved your pri'ee li'l neck back there and this is the thanks I get?" he said in a dangerously low voice.

"You make me sick." She spat back. His hand went from her throat to her hair as he twisted his fingers into it, pulling her head back.

"You play nice now or I won' bother saving your brother."

She stared back at him for a moment, her eyes on the verge of filling with tears before answering.

"All right... Just let him go free...please."

"Sure, love. Just gi' me a sec." he replied, pulling out his wand and waving it. Two strands of cable shot out from the tip, binding Melanie by the wrists and ankles as Scabior smiled and walked back around the house to the other snatchers. A minute later, he returned and grabbing her by the arm, disapperated.

As they landed suddenly outside the new campsite, Scabior led Melanie to his tent, looking around for the others. One of them walked into view, carrying an armful of firewood. When he saw them, he burst out laughing, dropping the wood onto the ground.

"Fenrir, come out here right now! Guess what Scabior found!"

Fenrir Greyback stepped out of his tent and turned his head towards Melanie and Scabior, his face breaking into a huge, dark grin.

Melanie suddenly cried out as she felt Scabior's hand make contact with her back and shove her forward. Hitting the ground face first, she spit out a bit of snow and turned her face to the side, knowing this was just the start of what was going to become of her.

"Filthy mudlbood." Scabior spat at her, yanking her up by the shoulder and throwing her through the entrance to his tent.

"Well done, Scabior." She heard Greyback say to him, followed by a laugh. "You've proven yourself useful again."

Shaking terribly, Melanie lay on the ground until Scabior finally came inside and started to untie her. As he finished her ankles and started on her wrists, his eyes met hers, seeing the threat of tears in them.

"You're pri'ee when you cry." He told her, a dark smile playing across his face. Biting her lip, she looked down at her freed hands for a moment before reaching out and slapping him hard across the face. He hissed in pain, his hand flying to his now reddened cheek, and winced.

"Bleedin' Christ, Melanie!" he finally said, blinking several times with his mouth hanging open. Melanie wiped a bit of dirt off of her face and hurried to the other side of the tent.

"Stay away from me." She ordered in a broken voice, sinking into a chair.

"May I remind you that I jus' saved your life?" He snapped, walking over to her while still rubbing his cheek.

"You threw me onto the ground and called me a…a..." She retorted, shooting him a venomous look as she struggled to say the word. Kneeling before her, he took her chin in his hand, forcing her eyes to meet his.

"I'm sorry. But appearances must be kept up in order for me to 'ave r'spect 'round 'ere!"

"You disgust me."

"I don' really care." he replied, absentmindedly letting his gaze wander over her face. Trying to pull away, she shot him an unsure look, trying to keep up her air of defiance.

"I want to know that my brother is safe. I won't go along with anything you do unless you prove to me that he is safe."

"Your brother is somewhere in the middle of a forest right now, love."

"I want to see him!" she cried.

"Well that's jus' too bad, in 'it?" he snapped back, getting abruptly to his feet and towering over her.

She knew he was right. There was no way he was ever going to do her another favor after she'd escaped him again. She'd have to find Sam eventually though…hopefully.

"Now, if I leave this tent for any extended period of time, are you going to try anything again?"

Melanie silently shook her head.

"Good. But cause I don' exac'ly trust you right now, Fenrir's gonna be stayin' with ya while we go out."

"You're leaving me with…_him_?"

"'A course, why not?"

"I don't trust him…"

"Well if I leave you alone, you'll try to run away again."

"I-"

"Don't lie to me, love."

"What if he tries to hurt me?"

"Trust me…thas' nothin' compared to wot's gonna 'appen to you later." He said in a low growl, causing Melanie to tremble slightly. Laying down his hands on her wrists, he pressed them lightly down, cutting off the circulation a bit. Melanie waited for him to do something, anything, but just to hurry and get it done with. His hot breath teased her skin as his lips neared hers. Then, with a tilt of his head, he gently placed a kiss on her throat. Opening her eyes, she looked at him, wondering if there was going to be more. Tearing his intense stare away from her, he grabbed a little black book from his table and threw open the entrance of the tent, stepping outside.

Getting shakily to her feet, Melanie moved over to the table where Scabior kept his maps and checklists. Brushing her fingers over a stack of papers, she saw someone come in from the corner of her eye.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Fenrir Greyback's voice caused her to cease up, her hand freezing in place.

"Jus-Just looking…" she stammered.

"Does Scabior know you're putting your mudblood hands on his things?"

"I-I didn't…I was just looking for something to-"

A large, hairy hand suddenly came down on top of hers, causing her to gasp.

"I still don't see what he thinks is so special 'bout you." He growled, grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and turning her to face him. "Maybe it's just cause he gets off on chasin'"

"Let go of me." Melanie said quietly, her throat growing dry. A pain shot through her arm as Greyback moved his hand from her shoulder to her arm, his razor-like nails digging into her skin.

"You know how much extra trouble we've had tryin' to find you? Bit of an embarrassment to lose the same captive again and again."

Melanie bit her lip to hide the pain in her arm, a tear sliding down her face.

"Please…let go of me."

"You're all the same." Greyback sneered. "Mudbloods."

"I said let go of me!" Melanie yelled, yanking her arm away from him, resulting in several shallow gashes in her skin. The sleeve of her sweater was quickly dampened with blood as it seeped through the large tears that had been made. Backing away, she reached behind her for anything heavy to use as protection. Her hand fell on the back of a chair and she kept her eyes on Greyback as she picked it up with shaking hands.

"Give it." He ordered, rapidly approaching her. With one heavy swing, the chair made contact with his head; however, it barely moved him an inch. Melanie gave out a frightened cry as an enraged Greyback took a swipe at her face, his nails dragging across her left cheek. With a pained scream, she dropped to the ground, holding her face in her hands.

"That'll teach ya." Greyback said gruffly, grabbing some papers off of the table and leaving Melanie to cry on the ground as he left.

As soon as he was gone, Melanie shakily looked at her hand. It was streaked with fresh blood. With a small whimper, she got slowly to her feet, dragging herself over to her cot and falling onto it lazily.


End file.
